Lil' Miss Tenten
by 7th Hokage Naruto Uzumaki
Summary: How did I get to be so awesome in the Chunnin Exam? What really happened and how Tenten really fits into the actual Narutoverse. It is first day of the Chunnin Exams and I get all hyper, but is it really over just how great my technique is? Or did my life forever change that day? What does Tenten have to do with anything? Read about how I blossomed into that that day.
1. Chapter 1

I knew it from the moment we met. The moment I laid eyes on her.

I knew that we'd be together, against all odds. Call it what you want…foolish thinking, idle musings of an idiot (Stupid Sasuke) or as I like to remember it, a prophecy from the son of the 4th Homage (a toad sage)-take your pick, but I knew it alright.

Even before, I had felt great anticipation at being chosen for the Chunnin Exams that year. I knew there were going to be people there from all over, but I didn't know who or how right I was, so I tried to bum money off of my best bud Sasuke, the cheap rat bastard, even I tried my one failsafe…my mentor and "older brother"….uh, uh…Iruka…that's right. It's been awhile since I've seen him…he's out with his kid and teaching and even taking a few missions I rarely see him as missions are given by email these days. Anyway...

Sasuke said, "Get your own new outfit, dead last. If you need money, ask the HoKage or that dimwit of a sensei we got…loser. Besides, I'm busy."

"Whatcha busy for? You only doing katas, something we do in school like, only everyday, half of the day!"

Sasuke got really irked by this…His eyebrow twitched. Under his breath, "Naruto, I SAID I'm busy. Please leave me alone."

"OK, OK, no need to be dramatic about it. I'm busy too, ya know…Busy showing off my new moves at the Exam on Tuesday. Yeah, believe it!"

With that, he walked away, not looking at me, shoulders slumped, then he sighed deeply.

"Whatever, dumbass. I'll win. I know it. You know it. Everybody knows it."

"Yeah, yeah, fine. See ya at practice tomorrow morning. Bye" Under my breath, I mumbled, "Cheap rat bastard who can't loan me shit. I'll show him."

Even Iruka couldn't help-he was saving up for a ring for my adopted sister Ayame. I didn't see why…she was nice and all, but whatever. He just told me I could go in whatever I have. I know he was just being selfless and all, but still…I almost thought of going to Grampa HoKage but, then again, I thought, wisely, that the HoKage should be reached only in an emergency and I wasn't dying, so I huffed and got ready. I cleaned and even bummed a ironing set from my neighbor when he wasn't looking. Thinking of the day, I felt something extra…something extraordinary was going to happen….And I was right.


	2. Chapter 2

Walking down the path to Training Ground 7, now covered in red and green leaves, I felt a rush of energy in the air…something I never felt before. Bolting for empty stadium, jumped ten feet over the stairs that were slowing things down. I never was that patient. For once, I was the last one there.

They all just silently watched me arrive, silently judging me. Nervous, I rubbed the back of my head and waved.

"Now that we are all here, let us recap the basics. One: Always stay one step behind me…there's said to be kidnappers here this year, an S-ranked ninja.

Two….don't just run off if you get hungry, that means you, Naruto, and stay together once we get beyond the testing only gates. Got it?"

"T' , OK. Let's go already."

"Yeah, Master. Thanks so much for doing this, right guys?"

Smiling, I nodded at my really hot female teammate.

Staring at them, I just followed them out.

"What's with loser face? What you think, Sakura?"

"Hell if I know. He's always weird, right Sasuke-kun? What's the point?"

"For once, you make a good point. 2 points for being cool about it."

Looking at the trees, I ripped my mind and my breaking heart away from the two, now stone silent forms in front of me. Cracked my knuckles for the first time ever that day.

Now, walking halfway through town, almost at the Chunnin Exam Stadium Square, the inevitable happened: "Uh, Sasuke-kun, do you, can we—I mean…can we go to dinner just two of us afterward? The first day is usually easy and…uh…Master can look after HIM…""So close, Sak, ooh, but…no." Walking faster, she slowed down, I almost bumped into her, but I had to grab her shoulder to not fall. "NARUTO…DON'T YOU TRY NOTHIN, YOU PERV!" Facing her, I realized my mistake and ran as fast as I could, bolting past our Master-I had to look back), he grabbed the screaming harpy by the collar, then calmed the now exhausted 14 year old. Boy, I am glad I have more stamina than most people. Wiping my brow, even still, I felt the weight of joyous expectation. Even though I just escaped with my life, I couldn't help but smile, resting my hands behind my head with what I am sure could only be called a stupidly happy grin smoked on my face.

"Nice meeting you too...Hey blondie, why are you so happy? You thinking of your girlfriend sucking…?" I caught a view of a girl slurping down an invisible popsicle. Broken from my reverie, I was terribly confused…I heard a girl's voice…talking to Shikamaru and his team. When I focused, I saw a really hot girl with two buns in her hair in a pink Lightning-country top, like those fancy silk dresses one sees from time to time, actually sticking out her tongue out and poking out one eye more…what the hell did I just see? Astonished, I stood there, mouth agape. She just beamed mischievously then blew me a fake kiss on one leg then walked off. What the….?

Suddenly, I was in a headlock,with what felt like needles in my head…struggling to free myself. Then the answer came: "Who is that…hottie? No way would a ten look at you that way. Too much of a dumbass for that, right?"

I shot back. "Oh yeah, Sasuke, that Tenten is my girl. Don't you bother her, or she'll mess you up. Or I will, with my HoKage awesomeness, believe it!"

Surprised I freed myself, he rested on the wall behind him, closing his eyes. "Hn….Well then, I need to meet this 'Tenten' for myself, being your best friend and all, then, huh?" Suddenly opening them, with a hell of a smirk on his face.

"Sasuke!" I trembled how he irritated me some days.

As if nothing happened, he casually puts his right arm over my shoulder and guides me somewhere. " Ha. Let's go, Naruto, we should get you back before Master Kaka notices you are gone." (The whole team called him that behind his back…his shitty training methods and how shitty he would treat us some days, being late every day and all that crap.) Despite how pissed I was, I had to laugh. My best friend was right. I sighed. Halfway there, he said, "I thought you had something for Sakura." He raised an eyebrow.

"I do." I blushed.

"Right….that's why a girl flirted with you and you stood there like a …race you"

Not noticing, he got a ten pace start. "Shit! Sasuke!"

Luckily, I am an awesome sprinter so we got to KaKashi dead even.

Without even looking behind his back at us, likely reading his porn, "Have fun, boys? Let's go before we can't even register the team, Kay? This way." He motioned us forward at this gigantic line. Everybody sweat dropped.

3 pm…three VERY LONG hours of nothing but waiting after getting in line, we got inside the stadium. I ran to the vending machine where it sold water and sweet plum juice. Downing the juice like a wolf enjoying a carcass, I wiped my mouth. I was alone. I needed to find Shika.


	3. Chapter 3

Thankfully, I did not have to wait long. It was like he was waiting for me as I exited the very empty hallway. "What a drag that was, huh, Naruto?"

Rubbing the back of my head again..."Yea, sure Shika. We gotta—"

"Talk. I know…follow me. We can't be in these halls long, man! My dad told me there were spies and murderers here." "And kidnappers, too?!" He blinked. "Kidnappers? Who the—who told you that shit….never mind. A good scare tactic to train us genin. Listen, we have bigger problems…I've never seen my dad this scared before, Naruto. Not even when my mom threatens him. He followed me around all day, giving me hugs and making sure I got here, even covertly the WHOLE way here OK?! Thing is, he NEVER DOES THAT! I'm tripping balls right now…if the toughest and most secretive man I know is like that, hammer's dropping today. What a drag…I wanted a few more years to cloud watch." Putting his arms on the back of the door, leaning on it. He sighed, deeply. It was my turn to blink. "WHAT….YOU'RE TELLING ME THIS N O W! C'mon Shika, I've known you for six years and NOW the end is coming. I won't…." I sighed deep. "You won't what….?" giving me a questionable look. I saw the lightbulb go off in his head. With a smirk he said, "Oh her, yeah, she's something else. I wouldn't go near her with a one-hundred foot pole, and yet…THEY always find me. What a—" "Drag…yeah yeah, lucky you, hot girls always pestering you. Sheesh!" He simply shrugged. "Look, buddy, since I owe you and because we're as tight as me and him over there [pointing toward the big man near the snack vending machine by the big green neon Chunnin Exam sign in too bright white letters], I'll set you up. Just don't mention it to anyone, OK? I don't need more girls coming to me looking for a 'matchmaker,' oh god no." He face palmed, realized what he said and then his whole body shook. Shaking his head vigorously. "Deal Uzumaki, I want no grief, hear me?" Saluting him with a playful smirk, I said, " Yes sir. You got yourself a deal." Point his right forefinger in my face, so grabbing his hand in a very firm handshake, I walked off. I heard him groaning and out of the corner of my eye, shaking that hand out that I shook. Guess I don't know my own strength some days...

So the first round goes off without a hitch and meet this cool girl Hinata, she's real nice. Anyway, as soon as get out, Shikamaru grabs me by the huge collar on my jumpsuit, slamming me against the wall next to the door leading out covering me with his left arm. One guy sees it, Shikamaru looks at him once and waves him off. Shrugging, he leaves, taking one last look…Shika motions for a punch, and bolts. Mind you, this guy is like 6 feet tall. I have to laugh at that. Brushing off the dust I collected from the wall, deadpanning,

"What the hell, Shika? This couldn't have waited like…ten seconds?" Putting his hands in his pockets in shame, looking down then up shot bac

"Look, I'm doing you a huge favor, so don't….Just spoke with HER and—"

"AND, what did she say?Does she like me? Is she pulling my leg? What?"

Putting up his arms, I know he was trying to slow me down…"Whoa there, come here." Off another two feet away from the crows finishing testing, he let it spill.

"After the 4th round of fight of this second round, after the really big fights, she's gonna meet you. She told me to tell you it can't be long, but she'll tell you herself. If you ask me, she just likes to flirt or be annoying or something, with women, you never know. Just a thought." With that, he shrugged, and walked off with hands in his pockets.

As I get ready to fight, I throw two practice punches and then—"SHIT! I forgot to ask—'where'." I grab my golden locks, in frustrated squat position and groan. Exasperated, I run off towards my destiny.

—Another 2 ½ hours later-

Watching all the cool fighters with their awesome and unique justus, got me relaxed and pumped. I tried to predict the winners and cheered them on, or the real underdogs. More than half of those I called as winners, lost. You just basically can't win them all, believe it. Oh, I bumped into Hinata again where I surprised her and she gave me some med cream.

 _If she wouldn't be beet red or sick like she seems to be, she might be kinda cute. She has beautiful eyes._

So during the fight between Ino and Sakura, I was tormented. Pulling out my hair and still trying to cheer on my crush while still maintaining the illusion that I WASN'T DYING INSIDE. Normally, its, easy for me, but I never had this of my tummy doing flips and my brain hurt…it was hard. Luckily, that 'little whore' [Sakura's words, not mine] did something interesting: I saw her do signs and something amazing happened: I saw her Chakra and her sprit leave her body. Whoa…I rallied behind my teammate, I would never let her be taken, Sakura or not. I yelled at the top of my lungs and tried to think of encouraging words.

I hope it worked. To this day, I still don't know how much it helped, though she tried to tell me a few times. That's for another story. At the end of that s wearing down match, pun intended, I just looked down on her knocked out form and silently said how proud I was of I was and how amazingly strong she looked.

As I looked to Kakashi, who didn't look so bad as a master anymore, I smiled, then out of nowhere, I see a finger out of the corner of my eye, with my dream girl attached. I tried not to leave my mouth agape, but failed miserably. Everyone was still talking about the fight over the two girls, so I silently grabbed my mouth, both hands, standing and creeped over to her, my ten out of ten.

"Your teammate was pretty good. Not as good as I am, mind you, but…still …"I was staring at her. She was GORGEOUS. _Oh no, no, please don't tell me my mouth is open…again. Now?_

I cooly closed my eyes and then gave her my best dashing smile.

"OOO, Mr. Cool is here, I see." Her voice was smooth as velvet, rich as any ramen broth my mind could cook up.

*Ahem* "Well, they don't call me Mr. Smooth for nothing." _That's right…she's totally buying it, you have her in the palm of your hand, Naru-chan. She's all yours._

"Were you fatally drawn to me because of my big muscles or my smile, baby?"

She laughed a glorious laugh, a sound like a bell I could listen to all day and all night, high, but with tinsssge of royal lusciousness in it, like her hair and her voice. I must have given a goofy smile, because she laughed harder.

" No, silly," eyeing me now, with her finger on her nose(?) maybe, in the dark, sparsely lit hallway, lighting only her silhouette. Then I felt something, then embarrassment. Something unexpected happened: she fawned over me, wrapping her arms around my neck. _Oh god, what now? What do I do?_ Taking me by he shoulders she kissed my left cheek then the right, then, she looks down and grins.

"Oh, hey…."

Not moving, out of I don't know, guilt, almost shame or fear, blushing like mad I turn my head right to behold the magnificent mane of Old Chicken—Butt. *Chuckles* I love that nickname…I didn't come up with it, I think Kiba did, and boy, is it accurate. I was glad it was dark in that hallway..I didn't want people to see a future HoKage blushing like the way I was. Glancing back at my female counterpart who just dropped her right hand off of my shoulder, not seeing much, bit still that awesomely hot silhouette, I blurted, "Hey Sasuke, just in time to see our first kiss as boyfriend/girlfriend." I said all too quick for her to hear.

"Here to wha…"Surprised, I dove her into that classic movie kiss, and at first she was confused and fought it, but then as soon it registered, she kissed back with her everything, like nothing I have to compare to, even to now, my dear Hinata of five years.

Looking up from my bold maneuver, I saw Sasuke standing there like scarecrow, He was shaking…I could see it from ten feet away where I was. Then, I swooped back into her chest, smelling her sweet perfume, then bringing her to her feet. Stunned, she only catch her breath, now in the light, putting a hand to her chest and then a hand to her mouth. A deep breath later, she poked me in the chest with her middle and ring fingers and breathed out loud enough for everyone to hear, "Don't do that again, loverboy, I may not fall for it again." With that, she gave me another kiss, moaning into it and then walked off, smacking Sasuke's butt on the way out, and waving goodbye facing me.

Walking up to my rival, best friend and brother (I knew it years before Father Hogoromo confirmed it), I snickered, "Didn't I tell you, Sasuke?" Waggling my finger at him. He just stared back at me as I walked out, frozen, with a curious look on his face and then a smirk. "You finally grew balls. Good for ya. Karachi is looking for you. Round 3—Forest of Death is coming up soon. He wants you to look after Sakura…she just woke up. I can cover you this time if you wanna look at your girl's match." "Thanks, man." "Hn."

Ten minutes after cheering Tenten on, I babied Sakura back to health and the rest is history from there.

One last thing, though: On the way out, "Tenten" and i were coming out of different gates: I was closest to the big East gate and she was by the end gate by the wall, and she got close enough to wink at me and blow me a genuinely felt air kiss. Needles to say, I blushed. Cause I knew there we would be doing what we did in that dark hallway all too soon.


End file.
